Vaccine participant ‘experienced neurological symptoms’

New details of the circumstances behind the shock shutdown of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trials have emerged.

New details of the circumstances behind the shock shutdown of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trials have emerged.

Stat News reports the Phase 3 trial was halted after a woman in the UK “experienced neurological symptoms consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis”, which was allegedly confirmed by the pharmaceutical giant’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, during an investor call.

The official diagnosis has not been confirmed, but the woman is expected to be discharged from hospital soon.

Trials are expected to resume within days.

New details have emerged behind the shutdown of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trials

It comes as as an explosive interview with the Herald Sun, Brian McNamee, the chair of CSL – the firm tasked with producing vaccines in Australia – said the treatment could face a lengthy delay, if one arrives at all.

“If they had asked us we would have told them that drug development is a very complex thing,” Dr McNamee said.

“We can’t bank on a vaccine. I think the treatments are improving but we have to learn to live with COVID. We have to manage it.”

However, Dr McNamee said the company was “cautiously optimistic”, but warned of “risks”.

“…that’s why at CSL we’ve got two vaccines we could manufacture because the likelihood of both working is not high,” he told the publication.

Brian McNamee, the chair of CSL